Ski binding and ski therefor

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a ski binding that includes an elastic buffer adapted to exert a return force on a boot when the boot heel is raised from the upper surface of the ski. The elastic buffer has a support surface adapted to come into abutment against the bottom of the sole of the ski boot, the support surface forming an angle with a plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the ski ranging between 0° and 80°. The invention also relates to a ski in combination with the aforementioned binding.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of French Patent Application No. 09 02922, filed on Jun. 16, 2009, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety.

This application also relates to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. P38523), filed concurrently with this application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a ski binding for the practice of Nordic skiing, in which the skier alternately raises and lowers the heel, such as when practicing Telemark skiing, ski touring, roller skiing, or cross-country skiing. The invention also relates to a ski including such a binding.

2. Description of Background and Other Information

Ski bindings for the practice of Nordic skiing generally comprise a plate provided with a retaining device for removably binding the ski boot of a skier.

In a binding of this type, the front end of the boot is assembled to the ski, while enabling movement about a transverse pin (generally, a pivot movement), which is affixed to the boot. In a known manner, the pin of the boot is maintained between a fixed jaw and a movable jaw of the retaining device of the binding. The movable jaw is mounted on a slide that is movable longitudinally along the axis of the ski, i.e., along a vertical longitudinal plane, the movement of the jaw being operated by a lever.

The retaining device also defines a housing for an elastic buffer having a support surface that cooperates with a vertical surface of the front end of the ski boot. The elastic buffer is adapted to exert a return force on the boot when the heel of the boot is raised from the upper surface of the ski.

To cooperate with the elastic buffer, ski boots have reinforcements at their front ends; such reinforcements protect the tip of the ski boot from excessive deformation.

As a result, the upper is less flexible at the end of foot than in other areas, which can cause discomfort for the skier after prolonged use.

Moreover, the end of the skier's foot does not always provide a stable support enabling the skier to have satisfactory control of the ski handling and sensory sensations to be properly transmitted in the area of the skier's foot.

SUMMARY

Therefore, the present invention provides an improved binding, which enables a better handling of the ski by optimizing the transmission of steering forces or of sensory information between the skier and the ski.

To this end, the invention relates to a ski binding that includes an elastic buffer structured and arranged to exert a return force on a boot when the heel of the boot is raised from the upper surface of the ski, the elastic buffer having a support surface structured and arranged to come into abutment against the bottom of the ski boot sole, and whose angle between the support surface and a substantially parallel plane with respect to the upper surface of the ski ranges between 0° and 80°.

In a particular embodiment, the angle is measured while the elastic buffer is not subject to compressive deformation on its support surface. For example, the angle between the support surface and a substantially parallel plane with respect to the upper surface of the ski ranges between 0° and 40°.

Thus, during compression of the elastic buffer, according to the invention, the support surface no longer comes into abutment against the end of the skier's foot but is offset to be under the skier's foot, which makes it possible to increase the force exerted by the skier, because the skier exerts an essentially vertical force, and also provides the skier with better support stability and greater precision of movement.

The lever effect around the transverse connector of the boot is accentuated so that torsion of the boot is reduced in the area of the upper and the sole, which improves handling, i.e., allowing for a better control of the ski.

Moreover, the feeling of comfort is progressive in the entire boot, the skier no longer noticing any abrupt change in the flexibility of the sole of the boot. This results in a better sensory transmission between the skier's foot and the ski.

According to a particular embodiment, the binding includes a retaining device including a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, the movable jaw being movable between a distant position and a near position with respect to the fixed jaw, the distance between the fixed jaw and a rear edge of the support surface of the elastic buffer being less than 10 millimeters in the near position. In fact, according to this embodiment, the elastic buffer is affixed to the movable jaw. Thus, the buffer comes closer to or moves away from the fixed jaw at the same time as the movable jaw.

As a result, there is sufficient space between the fixed jaw and the rear edge of the support surface to allow for the pivoting of the ski boot on the binding without requiring any raised support or wedge, or any particular cavity provided in the binding.

Moreover, the same binding can be used for various types of boot soles having a transverse pivot, regardless of the shape of the sole or the position of the transverse connector beneath the sole.

According to one or more other characteristics of the ski binding, i.e., taken alone or in combination:

-   -   the elastic buffer comprises a thermoplastic material having a         hardness between 35 and 95 Shore A;     -   the elastic buffer has a shape like that of an accordion;     -   the binding comprises a plate or base that comprises a         longitudinal boot-guiding rib;     -   the guiding rib is sectioned by at least one transverse groove;     -   the guiding rib is extended at the front by means of the fixed         jaw.

The invention additionally is directed to a ski in combination with a binding such as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the description that follows, with reference to the annexed drawings illustrating, by way of non-limiting embodiments, how the invention can be implemented, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a ski, as well as a perspective bottom view of an associated boot according to a first embodiment of the invention, the ski having a movable jaw in position near a fixed jaw, the ski and the boot being disassembled;

FIG. 2 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the tip of the boot, i.e., the front end of the boot, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the ski of FIG. 1 as assembled with the boot of FIG. 2, shown in cross section, in a first position in which the heel of the boot is supported on the ski;

FIG. 4 shows the assembled ski and boot of FIG. 3, in a second position in which only the tip of the boot is supported on the ski;

FIG. 5 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, with a ski boot according to a second embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, of a ski boot according to the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawing figures, identical elements bear the same reference numerals. In the following description, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “high,” “low,” “horizontal,” and “vertical” are used with reference to the upright position of the skier.

FIGS. 1 to 6 show a ski and a boot for the practice of Nordic skiing, in which the skier alternately raises and lowers the heel, such as when practicing Telemark skiing, ski touring, roller skiing, or cross-country skiing. In the following description, the various types of skiing encompassed within the disciplines known generally as Nordic skiing will be referred to generally as cross-country skiing, or even simply as skiing, although such reference should not be interpreted in a way that has a limiting effect on the scope of the invention.

The ski 1 comprises a gliding board 2 on which a binding 3 is mounted.

The binding 3 includes a plate 4, or base, adapted to be fixed to the gliding board 2, as well as a retaining device 5 for removably retaining a ski boot 6.

The retaining device 5 comprises a fixed jaw 7 and a movable jaw 8. The movable jaw 8 can move between a distant position and a near position (FIGS. 1 and 3-6) with respect to the fixed jaw 7. To this end, the movable jaw 8 is mounted to be longitudinally displaceable along the longitudinal axis L of the ski 1, on a slide 9 of the retaining device 5. The slide 9 can be manually operated using a lever 10 of the retaining device 5. One can also provide for the slide to be capable of being displaced in an automatic manner. The slide 9 is provided at the front of the binding 3 on the gliding board 2. The movable jaw is closer to the front of the binding 3 than is the fixed jaw. However, a reverse arrangement is encompassed by the invention. Examples of bindings which incorporate movable and fixed jaws are disclosed in the following documents, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference thereto in their entireties, particularly for this purpose: U.S. Pat. No. 7,320,474; U.S. Pat. No. 7,644,947; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,695.

The boot 6 includes a sole 11 to which an upper 12, having an opening 13 for insertion of the foot of a skier, is affixed.

The sole 11 and the upper 12 extend longitudinally along the longitudinal axis L′, from the heel 14 at a rear end to the tip 15 at a front end, the longitudinal axis L′ of the sole 11 and the longitudinal axis L of the ski 1 being parallel or substantially parallel.

The boot 6 further has a first transverse connector 16, such as a pin or pivot, perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L′ of the boot 6, or of the sole 11, and affixed to the sole, arranged at the front of the sole 11. The ends of the transverse connector 16 are embedded in the sole 11, such as extending across the channel or clearance 25 and secured to opposite walls defining such channel or clearance. The pin 16 can be flush with the lowermost surface of the sole or spaced somewhat above such lowermost surface.

The transverse connector 16 of the boot 6 is structured and arranged to be capable of being inserted between the fixed jaw 7 and the movable jaw 8 of the binding 3, when the jaws 7 and 8 are spaced apart in an open position of the binding, and of being maintained by the jaws 7, 8 in a closed position of the binding, the latter thus preventing the transverse connector 16 from coming out of its housing between the jaws, thereby fixing the front of the boot 6 to the ski 1. In the illustrated example, the connector 16 has a circular cross section, although other cross-sectional shapes could be used within the scope of the invention.

The transverse connector 16 is arranged beneath the sole 11, at a distance d1 ranging between 13 and 20 millimeters (mm), or between approximately 13 mm and approximately 20 mm, at right angles with the front end of the sole 11 (FIG. 2). More precisely, the distance d1 is the horizontal distance between the axis of the transverse connector 16 and a vertical projection from the front end of the sole 11, on a plane parallel to the surface of the ski containing the axis of the transverse connector 16.

The retaining device 5 of the binding 3 also defines a housing for receiving an elastic buffer 17. The housing is provided as part of the slide 9, for example, between the spaced-apart longitudinally extending arms of the lever 10 of the binding 3.

The elastic buffer 17 has a support surface 18 a on its upper wall, structured and arranged to come into abutment against an abutment surface 18 b located in a channel or clearance 25 beneath the sole 11 of the ski boot 6. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, the abutment surface 18 b can have a slightly convex bulging shape. Stated differently, the channel or clearance 25 of the sole 11 is defined at least in part by an abutment surface 18 b, the abutment surface comprising a bottom surface of a front end of the sole 11, the abutment surface 18 b being structured and arranged to come into abutment with the support surface 18 a of the elastic buffer 17.

The elastic buffer 17 is constructed and arranged to exert a return force on the boot 6 when the boot heel 14 is raised from the upper surface S of the ski 1. Thus, once the ski and the boot are assembled to one another, the boot 6 can pivot about the transverse connector 16 against the elastic buffer 17.

As shown in FIG. 1, the angle α, between the support surface 18 a and a plane parallel to, or substantially parallel to, the upper surface S of the ski 1, ranges between 0° and 80°. The angle α is measured while the elastic buffer 17 is not subject to compressive deformation on its support surface 18 a. In a particular embodiment, the angle α ranges between 0° and 40°.

Thus, during compression of the elastic buffer 17 (FIG. 4), the support surface 18 a no longer comes into abutment against the toes of the skier's foot, or against the front of the toes of the skier's foot, but is offset to be beneath the skier's foot, which makes it possible to increase the force exerted by the skier, also providing the skier with better support stability and greater precision of movement.

The lever effect around the transverse connector 16 of the boot 6 is accentuated so that torsion of the boot is reduced in the area of the upper 12 and the sole 11, which enables the skier to have better control of the steering of the ski 1.

Moreover, the feeling of comfort is progressive along the entire boot; the skier no longer notices any abrupt change in the flexibility of the sole 11 of the boot. This results in a better sensory transmission between the skier's foot and the ski. The skier no longer has the feeling of his/her toes abutting against the buffer, which thereby results in greater comfort.

According to a particular embodiment, the distance d2 between the fixed jaw 7 and the rear edge of the support surface 18 a, such as the rearmost extent of the support surface available for engagement with the boot during pivoting movement of the boot, is less than 10 mm when the movable jaw 8 is in the near position (FIG. 3); for example, the distance d2 is on the order of 5 mm.

The support surface 18 a of the elastic buffer 17 is farther away from the plate 4 or from the ski 1 than from the connector 16. Thus, the pivoting of the boot 6, when the heel 14 is raised by moving away from the plate 4, causes a vertical compression of the elastic buffer 17 by the end 15, or end region, of the boot. More precisely, it is the portion of the sole 11 located in the area of the end 15, at the front of the connector 16, which compresses the buffer 17. Then, the support surface 18 a moves downwardly toward the plate 4. It is possible that a substantial pivoting of the boot causes part or all of the support surface 18 a to be lowered below the area of the connector 16.

Moreover, the same binding 3 can be used for various types of boot soles having a transverse connector 16, regardless of the shape of the sole or the position of the transverse connector 16 under the sole.

According to a particular embodiment, the elastic buffer 17 comprises two portions, including an embedding portion and a portion designed more specifically for the aforementioned deformation of the buffer. The embedding portion of the buffer is embedded in the housing provided for this purpose in the retaining device of the binding 3, whereas the deformation portion of the buffer 17 is structured and arranged to cooperate more particularly with the boot 6 via the associated support surface 18 a during rotation of the boot 6 with respect to the ski 1.

The housing provided in the retaining device for the elastic buffer 17 has, in the transverse direction, dimensions that are greater than those of the elastic buffer 17, allowing an expansion of the buffer 17 in the transverse direction during its compression by the boot 6, without hindering its insertion in the housing.

The deformation portion of the elastic buffer 17 externally has a general shape like that of an accordion, including a series of parallel grooves or notches 19 in the side walls of the buffer 17. This series of notches 19 defines layers, the size of which is reduced from the embedding portion toward the support surface 18 a. In other words, the deformation portion has a pyramidal shape, with a base located at the intersection of the embedding and deformation portions. The elastic buffer 17 also internally has a series of ribs extending parallel with respect to one another. Each internal rib extends in the extension of a groove or notch 19. The internal ribs are adapted to exert a certain force for retaining the side walls of the elastic buffer 17. Conversely, the external notches 19 are adapted to allow for a better compression of the elastic buffer 17 by a stacking of the various successive layers defined between each of the grooves or notches 19 (see FIG. 4, more particularly).

Finally, the elastic buffer 17 has, in its deformation portion, a substantially pyramidal shape that progressively narrows, or tapers, in the direction of the support surface 18 a, which allows the stacking of the layers.

Moreover, the elastic buffer 17 has, in the extension of its support surface 18 a, at the rear edge, a gripping tongue 26 extending downward and adapted to be anchored in an associated portion of the binding 3. The gripping tongue 26 is structured and arranged to be fixed in the housing by means of a pin 20 shown in FIG. 3. Because of its anchoring in the binding 3, the tongue prevents any upward separation of the elastic buffer 17 when the boot 6 is being raised, and therefore during compression of the elastic buffer 17. Other means for affixing the buffer are encompassed within the scope of the invention, such as embedding, gluing, or other means, or the like.

The elastic buffer 17 can be made from an elastomer, such as a thermoplastic material. For example, an SEBS material (Styrene-Ethylene-Butadiene-Styrene), having a hardness ranging between 35 and 95 Shore A, can be used.

The plate 4 of the binding can also have a longitudinal boot-guiding rib 21 with respect to the longitudinal axis L of the ski. The guiding rib 21 is adapted to cooperate with a groove 22 having a complementary shape, which is provided beneath the sole 11 of the boot 6 for laterally maintaining the boot assembled to the binding 3 in a first position in which the heel 14 of the boot is supported on the ski.

The guiding rib 21 has a generally parallelepipedic shape and has a length ranging between 28 and 35 centimeters (cm) and a width of about 2 cm. It can be extended at the front by means of the fixed jaw 7.

The guiding rib 21 can be continuous or sectioned by at least one transverse slit or groove 23 a, 23 b. For example, the guiding rib 21 is adapted to be sectioned in order to enable the sk±1 to preserve good flexibility, i.e., so that the attachment of the plate and the rib along a length of the ski does not adversely effectively rigidify the ski along that length.

In a non-limiting manner, the guiding rib 21 extends along the entire length of the boot sole.

The sole 11 of the boot has a longitudinal guiding groove 22 having a complementary shape, extending from the tip 15 to the heel 14 of the boot. The abutment surface 18 b can be arranged at the front, in the extension of the guiding groove 22. The upper edge of the rib 21 can be provided to contact the bottom of the groove 22.

The guiding groove 22 then has a generally parallelepipedic complementary shape having a width of 3 cm, for example. Other embodiments are encompassed within the scope of the invention for the guiding groove and the rib, such as trapezoidal cross-sectional shapes or shapes that are narrowed towards the rear ends of the groove and the rib. In addition, or alternatively, a plurality of guiding ribs can be provided.

According to a second embodiment, the sole 11 of the ski boot 6 has an additional transverse connector 24, such as an additional pin or pivot.

In a first alternative of the second embodiment, not shown, the attachment plate 4 includes a hook fixed to the plate by means of an elastic return mechanism that enables the skier to return the heel of the boot towards the ski, after the heel has been raised from the ski. As a result, the ski more easily resumes a parallel position with respect to the sole of the boot. In this regard, see, e.g., the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,320,474 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,644,947.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a second alternative of the second embodiment of the binding. The boot and the ski have the same elements bearing the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment. A particular difference lies in the fact that the sole 11 of the ski boot 6 is provided with an additional transverse connector 24, i.e., an additional connector 24. The additional transverse connector 24 is set back from the transverse connector 16. For example, the additional transverse connector 24 and the transverse connector 16 are spaced apart by 5 cm. In other words, the additional connector 24 is spaced rearwardly from the first connector 16.

The guiding rib 21 is then sectioned by a transverse slit or groove 23 b configured for passage of the additional transverse connector 24. The transverse slit or groove 23 b therefore extends completely through the guiding rib 21. It can be straight or it can have a sufficiently wide rounded shape for passage of the additional transverse straight connector 24.

In this second alternative embodiment, the return function of the additional transverse connector 24 is inactivated, so that the skier can continue using boots which comprise such additional transverse connector. The skier can then be equipped with two pairs of skis and only one corresponding pair of boots, a first pair of skis according to the first embodiment and a second pair of skis according to the second embodiment, the pair of boots being capable of being bound to either one of the two pairs of skis. Similarly, the skier can decide to preserve his/her ski boots already equipped with an additional transverse connector for skis that do not have the optional of a return mechanism.

The binding therefore allows for a better handling of the ski by optimizing the transmission of steering forces or of sensory information between the skier and the ski.

This invention illustratively disclosed herein, suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein. 

1. A ski binding for binding a boot to a ski, said ski binding comprising: an elastic buffer constructed and arranged, relative to the ski when a front of the boot is connected to the binding and the binding is attached to the ski, to exert a return force on the boot when a heel of the boot is raised from an upper surface of the ski; the elastic buffer having a support surface constructed and arranged to engage in abutment against a bottom of a sole of the ski boot; the support surface forming an angle with a plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the ski in a range between 0° and 80°.
 2. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein: the angle between the support surface and the plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the ski is in a range between 0° and 40°.
 3. A ski binding according to claim 1, further comprising: a retaining device including a fixed jaw and a movable jaw; the movable jaw being structured and arranged to move, relative to the fixed jaw, between an open binding position and a closed binding position; in the closed position of the binding, the fixed jaw being spaced from a rear edge of the support surface by a distance of less than 10 millimeters.
 4. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein: the elastic buffer comprises a thermoplastic material having a hardness ranging between 35 and 95 Shore A.
 5. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein: the elastic buffer has a shape of an accordion.
 6. A ski binding according to claim 1, further comprising: a plate comprising a longitudinal boot-guiding rib structured and arranged to be complementary with a groove in the sole of the boot to guide the boot during movement of the boot during raising and lowering of the heel of the boot relative to the ski.
 7. A ski binding according to claim 6, wherein: the guiding rib is sectioned by at least one transverse groove.
 8. A ski binding according to claim 3, further comprising: a plate comprising a longitudinal boot-guiding rib; said guiding rib being sectioned by means of at least one transverse groove; said guiding rib being forwardly extended by means of the fixed jaw.
 9. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein: the elastic buffer comprises a deformation portion having a pyramidal shape.
 10. An assembly for skiing comprising: a ski; and a binding for binding a boot to the ski, said binding comprising: an elastic buffer constructed and arranged, relative to the ski when a front of the boot is connected to the binding and the binding is attached to the ski, to exert a return force on the boot when a heel of the boot is raised from an upper surface of the ski; the elastic buffer having a support surface constructed and arranged to engage in abutment against a bottom of a sole of the ski boot; the support surface forming an angle with a plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the ski in a range between 0° and 80°. 